battered

adjective

bat·​tered ˈba-tərd 

1

: damaged or worn down by hard use

a battered old hat

a battered truck

2

: injured by repeated blows

the victim's battered body

a boxer's battered face

3

: subjected to repeated physical abuse

providing help for battered wives/children

… the store turned into an impromptu women's crisis center, where battered women and mothers trying to rescue their daughters from abusive dads gravitated.

—Donna Minkowitz

Examples of battered in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The decision by American lawmakers to resume military assistance after months of costly delay was greeted with a collective sigh of relief and an outpouring of gratitude across a battered and bloodied Ukraine. —Marc Santora, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024

Courtesy of Lürssen From the battered trawler Orca in Jaws to the dinghy where Fredo spent his lonely final moments in The Godfather Part II, boats have been integral to myriad Hollywood blockbusters as props, locations, or narrative devices. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing battered

• battered child syndrome
• battered woman syndrome